The films’ plots too have strong pan-African appeal. They often revolve around the travails of new arrivals in big cities—an experience familiar across the continent. The epic film “One God One Nation” portrays a Muslim man and a Christian woman who struggle to marry. “Caught in the Act” shows a wife who is wrongly accused by her own mother-in-law of abducting a child. Nollywood films depict families whose faith has been shattered, whose certainties have been undermined. They show ordinary people struggling to make sense of a fast-changing, unkind world. Aspirations are dashed. Trust is forsaken. The overarching theme of Nollywood films is Africa’s troubled journey to modernity. Because Hollywood films tend to show people at the other end of that journey, they fail to resonate.

6 months ago, I began a blog of my own so that I could make podcasts, practice mixing. That blog, at this point, has become its own thing I suppose. While I’ve posted some several mixtapes, nothing after the original ‘cast. I thought I’d give this one a wider release. It’s one I’ve been thinking about for a while now.

Basis: It seems that last year’s chillwave movement — while it may have outlived GoogleWave — has officially become boring: utterly beached. Sun’s gone. Night’s come. Teen – age – Ice – age. And with this Night, comes glimmering synths, handclaps & drummachines, croons. Consider Twin Shadow, who with his ’10/10′ Forget pulled it off all so well. With 2011, let’s usher in the overly sentimental, the too articulate. In 2011, let’s smile till it hurts.

Project: Here are some new wave tracks from all around the world. I’ve used several from a selection of killer vietnamese/german new wave tapes I’ve come across since September as well as some perhaps more familiar selections. I’ve done some reversing, some sampling of my own, and had a wonderful time mixing it all together. It’s a blast. I hope you like it. Fill up your pencaps and Have a Happy New Year.

Jessie Thorn talks to Jad Abumrad about what goes into making Radiolab, and no surprise, it’s super thoughtful. He talks a lot about storytelling, words and music; also audio editing, which I was really into.